Disk magazines are particularly useful as tool holders for automatic machine tools. A plurality of tools can be placed in a plurality of tool holders at fixed intervals around the perimeter of a rotatably mounted disk. Selected tools can then be placed in position for feeding into the automatic machine by rotating the disk through an angle determined, for example, by a machine program. Typical disk magazine tool holders are shown in German Pat. No. 1,477,492 and European Patent Disclosure Document No. 000 1 218.
These disk magazine tool holders, however, possess a number of disadvantages. The disk magazines are typically quite heavy, and complex, powerful and costly drives are required to effectuate their movement.
Accordingly there exists a need for a relatively lightweight disk magazine tool holder which can be easily mounted, driven and controlled.